From Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha

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THERE is still tension at Chukwuemeka Odumeg­wu Ojukwu University in Anambra State, following disagreement over who is qualified to contest elec­tion into the council.
The battle has been be­tween the university man­agement and Academic Staff Union of the Uni­versity (ASUU).
ASUU had insisted that contract staff and other members of staff who were undergoing courses in the university as stu­dents, should be disquali­fied from contesting elec­tion into the council, as such an election, if they contest and win, would amount to making them sit in judgment in their own matters.
An election earlier scheduled for the uni­versity congregation last week to elect a member of the university congre­gation into the university council ended in fiasco as enraged ASUU mem­bers reacted vehemently. ASUU reacted over the alleged refusal of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Fi­delis Okafor to agree with them, leading to confu­sion at the venue of the election.
That action led the vot­ers to scamper outside the hall to avoid being hurt as tension was high.
Before the disagree­ment came to a head, the vice chancellor had in dis­missing the submission of ASUU leadership, ruled that the contract staff members and other mem­bers of staff who were un­dertaking courses in the institution were qualified to contest since they were check off paying mem­bers of their unions and were duly employed by the university.
Prof Okafor said it would be wrong to ac­cord such members of staff due recognition in their field of work and discriminate against them in election.
On the way forward, he said necessary logistics would be put in place and election rescheduled for a new date.
The ASUU Chairman, Mr. Emeka Nwabunnia, however, said his union would not allow the members of staff under controversy to contest as that would amount to al­lowing illegality.